Vehicle.



.M N 3 M vom @www m A n @m/ A d B 2 A @f m 1 a u@ mw APPLICATION FILED FEBA, 1914.

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VEHICLE. APPLIOATION FILED TEBA, 1914.

' Patented Aug. 25, 1914 z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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HDCLPH W- ORSON f t To alllt'vhomitmay Concern.:

` Be i known that I, ADOLPH WV. OLSON, a-

Donn w. oLsoN, or McINToSH, MINNESOTA.

VHICLE.

citieii` of the United States, residing at Mc'- Intoshgin the county of Polk and lState of Minnesota, haveinvented-certain newand y useful Improvements in Vehicles, of which the' following ris a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. This invention relatesto certain improvements in vehicles and has relation more particularly to a device of this general character especiallydesigned and adapted for travel over snow o r ice; and the obiect of the in- 'vention is' to provide a device of this general character having means of a novel and improved "construction whereby the lsame may be driven by motor and whereby the.

direction of travel of the vehicle may be controlled lwith convenience and facility.

The invention vconsists in the Adetails of construction and in the combination and ar-v rangement of the several parts'of my improved vehicle whereby certain important advantages arevattained and the device is rendered simpler'` less expensife and otherwise more convenientand advantageous for use, all'as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features ofthe invention will be carefully defined in the appended claims. In order that'my invention Amay lbe the y better understood, I will now lproceed to devpanyi'ng drawings, wherein- I Figure L'1 is' a view in topplan, with certainv ofthe parts-1n' section, of avehicle conscribe-the same with reference to the accom- `lstructed-'fin accordance'with an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2`is a view in side elevation of the device as illustrated in Fig. 1,v

with certain of the parts omitted;'Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken y'through-'the forward part of the. device, as shownL in Fig.' 1 ;"Fig.4'is an enlarged transf verse sectional View of the body of the vehi-` cle, as herein disclosed, such section being taken at a Apoint at which certain of the sprocket wheels herein included are adapted to be positioned; Fig.` 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in top plan, withapart in section, of a fragment ofa drive chain, herein included; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in elevationand partly in section, showing the manner in which the drive cha-in operates,

a portion of such chain and a coacting s rocket wheel being shown in dotted lines;

ig. 7 is a view in front elevation of a runl Specication of Letters Patent. Application met February 4, 1914. serial No. 816,548.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

ner included in the present embodiment of my invention; Fig. 8 is a view in side eleva-l tion of the runner illustrated in F ig. 7; Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of'Fig. 1; Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on thegline 10-13) of Fig. 1; and Fig.

11 isv a view in front 'elevation of a calk employed 1n the present embodimentof my invention.

As disclosed in the`accompanying drawings, v1 denotes the body of my improved vehicle of predetermined dimensions and preferably formed of'a hard wood, although I do not wish to be understood as limitin myself as to material. At predetermine points upon the bod 1 is suitably supported, through the me ium of the bearings 2, the transverse. shafts 3 3, on each of which are suitably affixed the spaced- "sprocket wheels 4 4, the diameter of each of such wheels being such as to have the same projected through an opening 5 produced in the plate 6, suitably secured to and resting upon the intermediate plate 7 which is rested upon and secured to the body 1, the opening 5 being in register with a slot 8l produced inV such plate 7 and disposed longitudinally .thereofand terminating at its extremities with the openings 9, .disposed through the body 1, as is clearly shown in the accompanying drawings, such openings 9 being i connected by the slot 10 disposed through such-body l, fora purpose which will-be hereinafter more fully set forth, and it is to berobserved that the slot 10 is offset relative to the opening v5 and that the slot 8 is of greater width than the slot-10. The slot 8 is adapted to afford in connection with the body 1 and the plate 6 a` suitable channel through which is adapted to pass the lower lstretch of an endless sprocket chain 11,-which is also directed around corresponding sprocket wheels 4 4 on the respective shafts 3.v The chain 11, as herein disclosed, has a side bar of two of its links provided with a depending arm 12 adapted to extend through the slot 10 of the body 1 and terminate therebelow, the'projected portion of such finger being provided with the transverse plate 0r calk'14 adapted to impinge .the snow or ice over which the device is adapted to travel whereby it will be observed that a ready and convenlent means is afforded for creating the requisite propulsion of the vehicle. In

orders-to reduce to a minimum the resultant wear of the chain'and the calk upon, the adius - substantially jacent surfaces of the body 1, I empl0y,'aS`

herein disclosed, the longitudinally disposed wear-plates 15 and 16, the plates 15 being disposed at the inner marginal portion of the slots 10 at the upper face of the body l;

'1 through the medium of the supporting trusses or brackets 18, the opposite marginal portions of such platform being provided with the longitudinally directed grooves 20 L-shaped in form with the feet 21 thereof' in -ardly directed, the upper stretches of the chains 11 being adapted to travel through such feet 21, while the stem portions of the slot permit an unobstructed y travel offthe. arms 12. Coacting with and suitably secured to the platform 17 is the coverA member 22 of such dimensions as to entirely inclose the platform and of such a height as' to infno Wise interfere with the travel o f the calks 14.

From the foregoino description, it is thought to be obvious th substantially entirely inclosed atall times which, in a\devi ce of this character, is of material advantage, as is believed to be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my present invention appertains.

hile any means, facility, be employed for imparting-the requisite trav l to the clains 11, I prefer to employ theqmstruction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein one of the transverse axles 3 and preferably the rear of such axles has aiixed thereto intermediate the sprockets 4, the worm gear 23 adapted to mesh with a worm 24 affixed to the driving shaft 25 of the motor 26, herein disclosed as mounted upon the body 1 adjacent the rear end thereof. mailed description of the motor 26 -need not be given, it is thought, at this time, although it might be we-ll to state that it is preferred that it be of an internal combustion type and be provided with a suitable clutch'27 and speed control 2.5', each bf which being operatively connected, with suitable levers 29 positioned in convenient proximity to the seat 30, herein disclosed as mountedA upon the cover member 22.

The body 1 or sk eas it is known, has lits forward end portion Aupturned, as at 31, and

rearwardly of such uptrned portion and in close proximity thereto the body l is provided with the\i1pstanding bracket or truss 32 reinforced by the brace 33 and to which truss is suitably secured the transversely disposed lbow-shaped member 34 produced preferably of spring steel and having its free extremities directed `rearwardly relative to afforded through the at the chains 11 arewhich will operate with` the body 1 and terminating a predetermined distance beyond the opposite sides of such body. The free end portions of the bowshaped member 34 are operatively connected, as at 35, with the short runners 36, which runners are further united through the medium of the transverse bar 37 having its central portion in pivotal engagement, as at 38, with the body 1. As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, this pivotal engagement between the bar 37 and the body 1 is medium of the depending ball member suitably ailixed to the under surface of the bar 37 and which is adapted to be accommodated within the socket 39 produced in the upper extremity of the post 46 suitablyyanchored to the upper surface of the body 1, or more particularly' to the upper plate 6. The cover member 22 is provided adjacent its lower end and at opposite sides thereof with the outwardly disposed guide plates or extensions 41, in each of which is slidably supportedl a block 42, such block being so'constructed as to readilyreceive the foot of the occupant of the vehicle andwhereby such block may be reciprocated by the operator, as is believed to be self-evident. The forward end of the block 42 is operatively connected with the bar 37 through the medium of a link 43 whereby it will be readily perceived that the direction of tra-vel of the vehicle may be controlled with convenience and facility.

It is to be observed that the'extremities of the spring member 34 curve or incline upwardly and thereby create a steady pressure on the runners 36 and thus maintain the body 1 normallyv against jar incident to lateral movement. It will also be noted that the spring member 34 assists in the steering operation. When it is desired to turn in a certain direction, for example to the right, the movement of the bar 3 7 under the influence of the member 34 will cause the left side of the body 1 to rise, whereby turn of the body l is greatly facilitated.

I have found in practice that'it is of advantage to provide each of the runners 36 with a shoe 44 having the heel portion thereof provided with a longitudinally directed knife 45 positioned at substantially the transverse center of the shoe.

In order to effectively protect the sprockets 4 from snow so that their operation will not be interfered with, I find it of advantage to inclose the space between the body 1 and the latform 7 with the side boards 17, as is c early shown inthe accompanying drawings, such side boards being disposed in substantially close proximity to the engine 26 in order that a convenient guard may be afforded. It is also to be observed that it is my purpose to have the arms 12capable of detachable engagement as I have found-in practice that when the device is intended to travel over snow such arms should blonger than when the vehicle is' intended tdtrvel over ic.

11' rom the Oregoing escription, it is Y/hought to lbe obvious that a vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly well adapted for use by reasonof the convenience and facility with which it may be Operated and whereby the direction of its travel may be controlled and itA will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some changeand modification without 15 material departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice.

Having thus fully described my invention l what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device of the character described including a body having longitudinally disposed elongated slots extended therethrough intermediate its length, such slots being angular in cross section, transversely disposed shafts supported by the body adjacent the opposite ends Of the slots, a platform supported by the body and positioned between the shafts and substantially bridging the space therebetween, such platform being provided with spaced parallel grooves in its upper surface angular in cross section, endless members operatively connected with the shafts and traveling through the slots of the body and the grooves of the platform, arms carried by the endless members adapted to project through the slots of the body, calks carried by the projected portions of te frms, and means for rotating one of the s a s.

2. A device of the character described including a body having longitudinally dis-` posed elongated slots extended therethrough intermediate its length,-such slots being angular in cross section, transversely disposed shafts supported by the body adjacent the opposite ends of the slots, a platform sups ported by the body and positioned between the shafts and substantially bridging the space therebetween, such platform being provided with spaced parallel grooves in its upper surface angular in cross section, end-4 .5'5 less members operatively connected with the shafts and traveling through the slots of the body and the grooves of the platform, arms lcarried by the endless members adapted to project through the slots of the body, calks carried by the projected portions Of the arms, means for rotating one of the shafts, and a cover member carried by the platform substantially entirely inclosing the same.

3. A device of the character described comprising an elongated body, a resilient member projectingbeyond opposite sides Of the body, and runners positioned at O posite sides of the body and connected with the free end portions of such member.

'signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ADOLPH W. OLSON.

Witnesses:

OSCAR E. JOHNSON, OLE J. OLSON.

lcome: ot 1:1111 patent may be obtained for ive cent1 elch, by addressing the Comunione: at hunts,

Washington, D. c." 

